Refining apparatus



Nov. 21, 1961 D. E. JONES REFINING APPARATUS Filed April 21, 1960 United States Patent O 3,009,659 REFINING APPARATUS Dwight E. .l ones, Pittslield, Mass., assignor to E. D. Jones Corporation, Pittsfield, Mass., a corporation of Dela- Ware Filed Apr. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 23,792 4 Claims. (Cl. 24H- 102) In various kinds of rening apparatus, such as machines for making paper pulp, it has been proposed to employ a rotor having blades on its outer periphery and a surrounding stator having ribs on its inner periphery in close juxtaposition to the aforesaid blades to break up material fed through the narrow space between the rotor and stator, with resilient means for urging the ribs toward the blades to produce the desired action on the material. However it has been diiiicult to get uniform action owing to variations in the pressure on the stator ribs and variations in the spacing between blades and ribs throughout the circumference of the aforesaid space.

Objects of the present invention are to produce refining apparatus of the character referred to in which the refining action is uniform throughout the circumference of the rotor, which is simple and economical to produce, which can be adjusted quickly and easily to produce the desired degree of refinement, in which the ribs on the rotor and stator can be replaced readily, and which `is durable and reliable in use.

According to the present invention the apparatus comprises a rotor and a stator surrounding the rotor, the rotor having longitudinal blades on its outer periphery, the stator including a shell and a series of segments distributed -around the inner periphery of the shell the segments having on their surface ribs opposed to said blades and, intermediate the shell and segments, inflatable means for yieldably pressing the segments inwardly, the inatable means comprising one or more tubes extending circumferentially of the stator. ln the preferred embodiment the segments are held in position by resilient means permitting the segments to move toward each other, preferably the resilient means comprising compressible spacers interposed between the segments and each segment comprises inner and outer parts, the spacers being disposed between the outer parts.

Preferably the axis of the stator is substantially vertical so that inward pressure on said ribs is uniform throughout the circumference of the stator, the pressure being independent of gravity.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical central section;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 2--2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view like FIG. l showing a modification.

The particular embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a shell including a part 1, a cap 2 and an intermediate part 3, each of the parts being circular and the parts being held together by bolts 4. Inside the intermediate part 3 of the shell is a rotor 6 carrying blades 7 on its periphery, the blades being of well-known construction and being held in grooves in the rotor by means of edges 8 in well-known manner. The rotor is mounted on a shaft 9 which is journaled in the lower part 1 by means of a bearing 11 and packing gland 12. The shell has an inlet 13 and an outlet 14.

Extending around the inner periphery of the inter- ICC mediate portion 3 of the shell is an inflatable tube 16 adapted to be iniiated through an inlet 17 equipped with a valve 18 and a pressure gauge 19. Seating on the inner periphery of the tube 16 in a series of segments comprising outer parts 21 and inner parts l22 held together by dovetails as shown in FIG. 2. intermediate the outer portions 21 of the segments are resilient spacers 23 of rubber or the like which hold the segments against the inner periphery of the tube and which permit the segments to move inwardly when the tube is inflated. Asis well-known in the art the ribs 24 on the segments should be close to the blades 7 on the rotor but should not touch the blades. Thus the tube 16 is inflated only to a pressure which brings the ribs into juxtaposition to the blades. The ribs 24 are yieldingly held out of contact with the blades 8 by the resilient spacers 23.

The modification shown in FIG. 3 is like the embodiment shown in FIGS. l and 2 except in that the shell 3' carries two tubes 16 instead of one with an inlet 17 to each tube.

From the foregoing it should be understood that the inward pressure on the segments 21.-22 is uniform throughout the periphery of the stator, that this pressure is independent of gravity and that the individual segments need not be adjusted individually. While the tubes may be expanded pneumatically they are preferably expanded hydraulically.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Reiining apparatus comprising a rotor and a stator surrounding the rotor, the rotor having longitudinal blades on its outer periphery, the stator including a shell and a series of segments distributed around the inner periphery of the shell, each segment having on its surface a plurality of ribs opposed to said blades, means for yieldingly holding said rib out of contact with said blades and, intermediate the shell and segments, an inflatable tube extending circumferentially of the stator, for yieldingly pressing the segments against said yielding means, thereby to move the ribs uniformly throughout the circumference of the shell.

2. Refining apparatus according to claim l further characterized in that said yielding holding means comprises compressible spacers interposed between the seg-- ments.

3. Refining apparatus according to claim 2 further characterized in that each segment comprises inner and outer parts fast together and said spacers are disposed' between the outer parts.

4. Refining apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized in that the axis of the stator -is substantially vertical so that the inward pressure `on said ribs is uniform throughout the circumference of the stator.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 493,531 Straker Mar. 14, 1893 2,807,989 Schaan et al. Oct. 11, 1957 2,833,483 China May 6, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 134,264 Germany Sept. 19, 1902. 

